Cool Building Wednesday: The Humboldt Park Boathouse Pavilion

January 13, 2010

Humboldt Park Boathouse & Pavilion (photo by Lee Bey)

Even on the coldest days, the Humboldt Park Boathouse can still throw off a little visual warmth.

Designed by architects Schmidt Garden & Martin with an assist from Jens Jensen who designed the surrounding park, the 103-year-old structure‚ is one of the most spectacular pieces of public architecture in Chicago and also one of the city's finer examples of Prairie School design.

(photo by Lee Bey)

With those great looping arches resting on brick piers, the long, horizontal building cuts quite a profile alongside the lagoon at 1301 N.‚ Humboldt Blvd.‚ The boathouse and pavilion is also a cultural gathering place for the predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood--well, when the weather is warmer it is--and has hosted the Latin Jazz Festival for the past three years. The structure is also a protected city landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.